The Whims of Fate
by Darkwood Princess
Summary: "What could you possibly know about grief!" New Jim Kirk meets old Kirk at the behest of Fate, the trickiest of all women. She hopes they can reconcile their differences, but is unsurprised at the results. A story about understanding and family.


**AN: So I was listening to Fall Out Boy's The Phoenix, and this came to mind. The line 'vintage misery' is theirs by the way. I just liked it so much I included it. Unbeta-d so if there are errors, they are my fault.**

_ Fate was a tricky woman. She liked nothing more than to stir up problems so that her chosen could rise above the pain. Of course she was caretaker of so many places, so many universes. Lately one of her golden children had been wallowing in his own problems, but, unlike usual, this was turning out to be most unproductive. So with a casual flick of her wrists, she brought the young Jim Kirk and the old Jim Kirk together, so as to work through the problems torturing the younger man._

_ Or not. She also liked a good show. It was up to them to actually resolve anything._

When young Jim Kirk woke, he found himself in what appeared to be an empty blue room. Before he could explore further, another man walked up to him, a shorter man with a ready smile and bright hazel eyes. Jim found himself half-remembering to face from that long-ago meld with the older Spock. An irrational sense of anger welled up in the blue eyed Captain.

"You! You're the cause of all my problems!" The other man's smile faltered, and he took a step back, his mouth opened to say something. Jim cut him off though. "I know who you are Captain, the _original _James Kirk. The only one who's supposed to exist right?"

"There's no reason why you can't exist as well," the man said tightly, trying to be friendly to the young man who was yelling at him. "I understand that you've been through a bit of grief-"

"What could you possibly know about grief?!I grew up an orphan! My mother was always gone and my father was a freaking hero. Try living up to that, Jimmy! Besides, your crew is far less damaged than mine. You don't have to deal with the pain of the death of a crewmate who possibly was just out of highschool's fleet recruitment plan! I mean look at us," he gestured wildly, "we're children! And they sent us out anyways! Do you have any seventeen year-olds on your crew, _Captain_? Do you have the last of an endangered group for a first officer? Or perhaps the remnants of your entire Academy class as your crew? Our differences are too vast for simple words to cross." The younger blond's voice sent as many barbs as he could at the shorter, stockier man. The other Jim, the 'original', just stared at him, fury seething behind the amber eyes.

"How dare you suggest that you're the only one with pain in their life? You're wearing our vintage misery, acting as if we didn't face it ourselves. I went through just as much pain as you ever did. So did my crew. We did it all first. Facing the dangers of the galaxy is your job, your privilege, and your gift. If you can't see that, then you're not only unfit to be in Starfleet, but one blind, sorry excuse for a human." His tightly delivered phrases, pitched and paused in somewhat awkward places proved how furious he was. But younger Jim couldn't stop, wouldn't stop. This man was the pinnacle of everything he wanted to have and couldn't.

"No, sir, you are. Because we have to live with the actions of not only your world, but our own. Until you've seen the destruction of Vulcan or the pain of watching your Chief Medical Officer and best friend patching the survivors of unnecessary battles, including you, up for _three days straight with little to no sleep_, so exhausted that his accent is thicker than the danger you're in, then you can complain. Then you call me a whiny upstart with no experience or skill." He settled back, watching as the older Jim just shook his head in almost pity.

" Have you ever dealt with beings whose only purpose was to kidnap your crew for the fun of it? Since you've brought up First Officers, try seeing yours go through with an attempt to kill you because his fiancé can't appreciate him for who he is. You think your Dr. McCoy has it bad? Too bad kid, that's part of what he signed on for. But just so you know, try watching yours deal with xenopolycethemia and then talk to me. Watch as he slowly fades away from you, right before your very eyes, and there's nothing you can do about it but watch as he grows weaker, no miracle cure for the man who's pulled so many miracles for you in the past. Try watching as your Chief Engineer is killed by a rogue probe, who, by the way, wipes the mind of your Communications officer and wants to destroy the universe. Or how about all the various diseases and mind controlling substances that nearly cost me my ship in the past. Face it young man, you are a pale imitation of us at best."

_Flashing amber met electric blue, dueling for the dominance that each so craved. But there was no easy answer. If anything there was more animosity, stirred by words most uncarefully slung. Fate sighed, realizing that she was going to have to pull more people out of their universes. Drat. Should she pull the Vulcan or the Doctor first? _

**AN: Tell me who you wanna see, people! Reviews are love!**


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